


Down the Stairs and Into My Heart

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: F/M, First Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:00:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23477365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Cormoran Meets Robin
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Kudos: 21
Collections: The Cormoran Strike Fest of Firsts





	Down the Stairs and Into My Heart

**Author's Note:**

> For the Cormoran Strike Fest of Firsts 2020 with the prompt Meetings

Robin was smiling to herself as she dodged the crowds of Londoners on their way to work.Her brand new engagement ring sparkled in the sparse sunlight of an early Monday morning.Life was good, even if she was on her way to yet another uninspiring temp job after a month of them.Checking the instructions she had been given, she managed to find the door to the office at 26 Denmark Street.She was early, but she thought she would show up anyway, just to show enthusiasm for a meaningless job. That was the kind of worker she was.Robin pulled the black door open, revealing an entrance with mailboxes and a steep flight of stairs with an iron railing.She started up the stairs. The first floor appeared to house a graphic artist.Her destination must be on the second floor landing. 

Robin had just put her foot on the next step going up when a door banged open above her head.Robin heard a man swearing.Two figures were up on the landing, a man and a tall woman.She heard the woman yelling something incomprehensible and saw her shove the man, who lost his balance and started to fall down the stairs.He grabbed at the railing and just barely stopped his fall, but Robin thought he hit his head on the railing.He cried out in pain.His leg was bent painfully under him.The woman ran down the stairs, shoved her way past Robin and was out the door, uncaring about the chaos she had caused.

Robin raced up the stairs to the injured man.Dropping her purse she eased him back on the step and moved his injured leg into a more comfortable position.That’s when she discovered he had an artificial leg.She tried to steady him as she checked his head.The skin wasn’t broken but she thought he’d have a bruise on his temple.She looked anxiously at him as he blinked at her.“Can you stand?” she asked.He nodded.She supported him on one side as he pulled himself upright using the hand rail.She slid her arm around his waist and pulled his free hand over her shoulders.“Lean on me,” she instructed.Together they moved up the top steps onto the landing.The office door was open so Robin steered the man inside and put him on the leather couch that was just inside the door.

The office was a shambles.Papers and file folders were strewn on the floor and the printer upended.A pillow was lying on the floor next to the leather couch, so Robin grabbed it and put it next to her patient to support the injured leg.She looked around, spotted an electric tea kettle, and asked the man if he’d like tea.He nodded, so she plugged in the kettle after filling it with water.

Checking the tiny frig she found only spoiled milk which she binned.While the water came to boil she washed the coffee mugs strewn on the counter and found packets of sugar and tea bags.She made tea for her patient and took the mug to him, sitting next to him on the couch.“How do you feel?”

He shrugged and took a sip of the tea.She’d made it strong and added sugar, her mother’s usual anecdote for any fall when she and her brothers were rowdy children.He took another sip and looked at her.“Sorry about that.”

Robin couldn’t see any dilation of his pupils but his temple was beginning to bruise where he’d hit the railing.She rose.At the counter she ran cold water over a clean tea towel she’d found when hunting for the tea and sugar, then wrung the water out.Back at the couch she sat down again and gave her patient the towel. “Lay this on your head, ok?”

He did do, holding it in place with one hand while trying to sip tea with the other.“I’ll hold that,” Robin said, taking over tea towel compress duties.They sat quietly for a while, the man sipping his tea with his eyes closed.“How does you leg feel?” she finally asked.He opened deep set eyes and looked at her.“Ok.”

“Drink the rest of your tea.I’ll clean up a bit.”Robin began picking up the papers and folders and laying them in a neat stack on the desk, set the printer back on its stand, picked up the battered metal ashtray, wiped it out with a tissue and set it back on the desk.She looked around.The inner office looked tidy so the attack on her new acquaintance had started in the outer office and continued down the stairs.There was nothing for her to do there.

She looked back at her patient, who was sitting upright, placing his tea mug on the floor.“Thanks.Now what can I do for you?”

Robin explained she was the temp.He looked puzzled and told her he’d cancelled that.Robin shook her head that he hadn't, so he gave up, not having the energy to fight her employer on top of everything else.After a bit he was able to stand and walk into his office where he slumped in his chair and listened to the temp moving around, cleaning and tidying the outer office.It was soothing to listen to her work.He needed to ask her name.She was kind, whoever she was.He knew that already.He put his head down on his desk and began to dream. In the dream there was a woman with honey colored hair and blue-gray eyes that looked trustingly into his.


End file.
